These days you hear more and more people talking about going to a chiropractor to manage or treat their back pain. So what exactly is chiropractic care and what does a chiropractor do? Chiropractic care is a health care discipline that deals with the treatment and preventive care for disorders related to the nervous system, spine, pelvis and joints. The techniques are hands-on and non-invasive and the practitioners of this discipline are called chiropractors.

What Do Chiropractors Do?

Chiropractors are trained to treat all types of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. This includes neck and back pain, headaches and pain in the joints of the arms or legs. They are considered primary care practitioners who focus on disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. These practitioners have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend rehabilitative and therapeutic exercises and to provide lifestyle, dietary and overall nutritional counseling.

Their techniques do not involve the use of any invasive procedures. Instead these trained specialists use their hands to apply a controlled force to those joints that have limited movement because of a tissue injury. This is called spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustment. Depending on the circumstances, they may sometimes use a small instrument to perform the spinal manipulation. This technique aims to rectify structural alignment so get rid of the main and to improve the overall functioning of the body.

Tissue injury can be a result of a lone traumatic event such as lifting a very heavy object or it could be due to repetitive stress, such as working in an unnatural position for long periods of time or even just sitting for several hours at a stretch. Whatever the cause, when tissues get injured, they undergo a lot of changes that result in pain, inflammation and diminished function. Adjusting or manipulating the joint and tissues that are affected, helps to restore mobility by eliminating muscle pain and stiffness and healing the injured tissues.

The Concept Behind Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is based on the belief that the ability to function normally is closely connected to the physical structure of the body, which includes the nerves, joints, nerves and muscles. This health care disciple does not aim to simply treat your back pain or neck pain in isolation. Instead it helps to promote self healing by bringing about a balance between structure of the body and the way it functions. This is born from the belief that the body has the natural ability to heal itself.

While you may suffer mild soreness after a chiropractic treatment, acute discomfort or pain is very rare. One of the reasons why it has been gaining more recognition of late is because people are slowly realizing that this is a safe way to manage or treat their backache without having to resort to invasive techniques.

Have you been suffering from persistent backache but are reluctant to undergo the surgery that your doctor has recommended? Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to treat backaches or joint pain without the need for any invasive procedures.

My free monthly e-newsletter is designed to be used as a resource for my patients in discovering and empowering them to make the best choices for their health and well-being.